2016年12月英语六级阅读理解专项试题(含答案)

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　　Text 1

2016年12月英语六级阅读理解专项试题(含答案)

　　The moden world only recently reached the Yanomano, a native people of the Amazon basin. Sheltered by thick rainforest,the Yanomano lived a self-contained existence until gold was discovered in their jungle homeland. Miners flocked into the forests, cutting down trees and bringing disease and shot those Yanomano who would not get out of the way. In just seven years from the early 1980s, the population fell 20 per cent.

　　Hands Around the World, a native American cultural association, says the Yanomano are believed to be the most culturally intact people in the world. They wear loin cloths, use fire sticks and decorate their bodies with dye from a red berry(桨果). They don’t use the wheel and the only metal they use is what has been traded to them by outsiders. When a Yanomano dies, the body is burned and the remaining bones crushed into a powder and turned into a drink that is later consumed by mourners in memory of the dead.

　　A Hands Around the World report says that in South America not only are the cultures and traditions in danger of disappearing, but some tribes are in danger of extinction. “The Yanomano is a well-known tribe that is rapidly losing its members through the destruction of Western disease,” the report says. Before illegal gold miners entered their rainforest, the Yanomano were isolated from modern sociaty.

　　They occupy dense jungle north of the Amazon River between Venezuela and Brazil and are catalogued by anthropologists(人类学家) as neo-indians with cultural characteristics that date back more than 8,000 years. Each community lives in a circular communal house, some of which sleep up to 400, built around a central square.

　　Though many Yanomano men are monogamous, it is not unusual for them to have two or more wives. Anthropologists from the University of Wisconsin say polygamy is a way to increase one’s wealth because having a large family increases help with hunting and cultivating the land. These marriages result in a shortage of women for other men to marry, which has led to inter-tribal wars.

　　Each Yanomano man is responsible for clearing his land for gardening, using slash-and-hum farming methods. They grow plantains, a type of banana eaten cooked, and hunt game animals, fish and anaconda(南美热带蟒蛇) using bows and arrows.

　　1. Miners flocked into the forest and shot those Yanomano who _______.

　　A. sheltered in thick rainforest　　B. would not leave their jungle homeland

　　C. lived a self-contained existence　　D. would stand in their way

　　2. The organization called Hands Around the World believes that culturally, the Yanomano is the world’s__________.

　　A. most primitive people　B. most backward people

　　C. most advanced people　　D. oldest people

　　3. Which of the following is NOT true according to an American cultural association report?

　　A. In South America, the cultures are on the verge of extinction.

　　B. In South America, the traditions are on the verge of extinction.

　　C. In South America, the Yanomano can survive extinction.

　　D. In South America, some tribes are on the verge of extinction.

　　4. ___caused the Yanomano to have inter-tribal wars.

　　A. The shortage of women resulting from polygamy

　　B. The difference in wealth resulting from polygamy

　　C. The shortage of women resulting from monogamy

　　D. The difference in wealth resulting from monogamy

　　5. We can infer from the passage that it is imperative for us to protect the Yanomano because__________.

　　A. it is a clturally most intact people

　　B. it is a primitive people deep in jungle

　　C. it is a native people of the Amazon basin

　　D. it is primitive people in danger of disappearing

　　【答案】： DACCD

　　Text 2

　　It is a curious paradox that we think of the physical sciences as “hard”, the social sciences as “soft,” and the biological sciences as somewhere in between. This is interpreted to mean that our knowledge of physical system is more certain than our knowledge of biological systems, and these in turn are more certain than our knowledge of social systems. In terms of our capacity of sample the relevant universes, however, and the probability that our images of these universes are at least approximately correct, one suspects that a reverse order is more reasonable. We are able to sample earth’s social systems with some degree of confidence that we have a reasonable sample of the total universe being investigated. Our knowledge of social systems, therefore, while it is in many ways extremely inaccurate, is not likely to be seriously overturned by new discoveries. Even the folk knowledge in social systems on which ordinary life is based in earning, spending, organizing, marrying, taking part in political activities, fighting and so on, is not very dissimilar from the more sophisticated images of the social system derived form the social sciences, even though it is built upon the very imperfect samples of personal experience. In contrast, our image of the astronomical universe, or even if earth’s geological history, ca easily be subject to revolutionary changes as new data come in and new theories are worked out. If we define the “security” of our image of various parts of the total system as the probability of their suffering significant changes, then we would reverse the order for hardness and as the most secure, the physical sciences as the least secure, and again the biological sciences as somewhere in between. Our image of the astronomical universe is the least secure of all simply because we observe such a fantastically small sample of it and its record-keeping is trivial records of biological systems. Records of the astronomical universe, despite the fact that we learnt things as they were long age, are limited in the extreme. Even in regard to such a close neighbor as the moon, which we have actually visited, theories about its origin and history are extremely different, contradictory, and hard to choose among. Our knowledge of physical evolution is incomplete and insecure.

　　1.The word “paradox” (Line 1, Para. 1) means “_____”.

　　A.implication B.contradiction C.interpretation D.confusion

　　2.Accroding to the author, we should reverse our classification of the physical sciences as “hard” and the social sciences as “soft” because _______.

　　A.a reverse ordering will help promote the development of the physical sciences

　　B.our knowledge of physical systems is more reliable than that of social systems

　　C.our understanding of the social systems is approximately correct

　　D.we are better able to investigate social phenomena than physical phenomena

　　3.The author believes that our knowledge of social systems is more secure than that of physical systems because______.

　　A.it is not based on personal experience

　　B.new discoveries are less likely to occur in social sciences

　　C.it is based on a fairly representative quantity of data

　　D.the records of social systems are more reliable

　　4.The chances of the physical sciences being subject to great changes are the biggest because _____.

　　A.contradictory theories keep emerging all the time

　　B.new information is constantly coming in

　　C.the direction of their development is difficult to predict

　　D.our knowledge of the physical world is inaccurate

　　5.We know less about the astronomical universe than we don about any social system because ______.

　　A.theories of its origin and history are varied

　　B.our knowledge of it is highly insecure

　　C.only a very small sample of it has been observed

　　D.few scientists are involved in the study of astronomy

　　答案：ACDAD

　　Text 3

　　We can begin our discussion of “population as global issue” with what most persons mean when they discuss “the population problem”: too many people on earth and a too rapid increase in the number added each year. The facts are not in dispute, It was quite right to employ the analogy that likened demographic growth to “a long, thin powder fuse that burns steadily and haltingly until it finally reaches the charge and explodes.”

　　To understand the current situation, which is characterized by rapid increases in population, it is necessary to understand the history of population trends. Rapid growth is a comparatively recent phenomenon. Looking back at the 8,000 years of demographic history, we find that populations have been virtually stable or growing very slightly for most of human history. For most of our ancestors, life was hard, often nasty, and very short. There was high fertility in most places, but this was usually balanced by high mortality. For most of human history, it was seldom the case that one in ten persons would live past forty, while infancy and childhood were especially risky periods. Often, societies were in clear danger of extinction because death rates could exceed their birthrates. Thus, the population problem throughout most of history was how to prevent extinction of the human race.

　　This pattern is important to notice. Not only does it put the current problems of demographic growth into a historical perspective, but it suggests that the cause of rapid increase in population in recent years is not a sudden enthusiasm for more children, but an improvement in the conditions that traditionally have caused high mortality.

　　Demographic history can be divided into two major periods: a time of long, slow growth which extended from about 8,000 BC.till approximately AD. 1650. In the first period of some 9600 years, the population increased from some 8 million to 500 million in 1650. Between 1650 and the present, the population has increased from 500 million to more than 4 billion. And it is estimated that by the year 2000 there will be 6.2 billion people throughout the world. One way to appreciate this dramatic difference in such abstract numbers is to reduce the time frame to something that is more manageable. Between 8000BC and 1650, an average of only 50,000 persons was being added annually to the world’s population each year. At present, this number is added every six hours. The increase is about 80,000,000 persons annually.

　　1.Which of the following demographic growth pattern is most suitable for the long thin powder fuse analogy?

　　A.A virtually stable or slightly decreasing period and then a sudden explosion of population.

　　B.A slow growth for a long time and then a period of rapid, dramatic increase.

　　C.Too many people on earth and a few rapid increase in the number added each year.

　　D.A long period when death rates exceeds birthrates and then a short period with higher fertility and lower mortality.

　　2.During the first period of demographic history, societies were often in danger of extinction because___.

　　A.only one in ten persons could live past 40.

　　B.there was higher mortality than fertility in most places.

　　C.it was too dangerous to have babies due to the poor conditions.

　　D.our ancestors had little enthusiasm for more children.

　　3.Which statement is true about population increase?

　　A.There might be an increase of 2.2 billion persons from now to the year 2000.

　　B.About 50,000 babies are born every six hours at present.

　　C.Between 8000 BC and the present, the population increase is about 80,000,000 persons each year.

　　D.The population increased faster between 8000BC and 1650 than between 1650 and the present.

　　4.The author of the passage intends to___.

　　A.warn people against the population explosion in the near future.

　　B.compare the demographic growth pattern in the past with that after 1650.

　　C.find out the cause for rapid increase in population in recent years.

　　D.present us a clear and complete picture of the demographic growth.

　　5.The word “demographic” in the first paragraph means___.

　　A.statistics of human.

　　B.surroundings study.

　　C.accumulation of human.

　　D.development of human.

　　答案：ABADA

　　Text 4

　　Since its foundation in 1954, the United Nations has written into its major covenants(契约) the need to establish minimum ages for marriage. But the custom of marriage is a highly sensitive cultural issue, mainly because it is so unpleasantly involved with women’s rights and societal traditions and practices, and rules on marriage vary widely between countries. Some countries, particularly in West Africa, still do not have a legal minimum age for marriage.

　　In the West, a 13-year-old is still considered a child. Even getting married in one’s late teens is not usually encouraged because married life is likely to interfere with a young woman’s education and consequently restrict opportunities in later life. And there are also physical dangers in giving birth so young. The World Health Organization has over the past ten years identified early childbirth as a major cause of female mortality in many countries.

　　Under Islamic religious law, the age of consent for sex and marriage is puberty, which Muslims say is in harmony with the biological transition from childhood into adulthood. In Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan, the age of puberty at around 13 or 14 is the legal age for marriage, but in Turkey it is 15, and in Egypt and Tunisia, 18 the same minimum age as in many Western countries. It is argued that by allowing earlier marriages, Islamic law is promoting stable relationships, while Western laws are encouraging promiscuity among young people.

　　In many countries, the trends of urbanization and education for girls have seen a drop in the number of child brides. However, early marriages continue to occur in poor rural areas, where society works very much on personal arrangement between families, villages and communities. And it doesn’t only happen in countries which don’t have a legal minimum age. In India, for example, the legal age of marriage for a girl is 18 and to a boy, 21. Yet, according to government statistics, 18 percent of ten to fourteen-year old girls in the poor, rural state of Rajasthan in the northwest of the country are married. There are obvious social and economical advantages for doing this: by marrying off their daughters early, families no longer have to provide for them ; and the younger the bride the smaller the dowry(嫁妆), or wedding price, demanded by the groom’s family.

　　It is clear, then, that child marriages are connected with poverty, lack of education and rural customs such as dowries; there don’t tend to be any child marriages in urban or rich areas. So, unless these real causes are addressed, it will be extremely hard to enforce change, even when change is dictated by a country’s governing body. (451 words)

　　1. What is the topic of this passage?

　　A. Child brides.　　B. Early marriages.

　　C. Minimum age for marriage.　　D. Different attitudes towards early marriages.

　　2. The word “promiscuity”(Line 9, Para. 3) means__.

　　A. unstable partnership B. firm partnership　C. diverse relationship D. single relationship

　　3. ____is likely to marry late.

　　A. Women from less educated background　B. Women from rural areas　C. Women from Islamic countries　　D. Women from cities

　　4. Child marriages are NOT related to __________according to the passage.

　　A. social position B. rural customs　　C. personal arrangements D. religion

　　5. According to the passage, getting married early does all of the following EXCEPT__________.

　　A. reducing a young woman’s education　B. limiting a young woman’s chances

　　C. causing infant death　D. doing harm to a young woman’s health